Bowenville, Queensland
Free, Fabulous, and Full of Space (and Possibly Mud)
Bowenville Reserve. Wow. What a little cracker of a find! If you like your campsites peaceful, spacious, and 100% free (because who doesn’t love free?), this one’s a winner.
You can stay here for up to 7 nights, which is more than enough time to completely forget what day it is, question your life choices, and fully embrace your inner bush nomad.
Now let’s manage those expectations—there’s no water, no power, and no dump point, but hey, what did you expect for zero dollars? Champagne and foot massages? Fortunately, the thriving metropolis of Dalby (a mere 24km away) has all those modern luxuries like taps, toilets, and somewhere to offload your, uh… black tank burdens.
BUT it’s not all roughing it. Bowenville does offer:
• Flushing toilets (the kind that whoosh, not waft)
• A kids’ play area (aka: somewhere to unleash the chaos)
• Covered picnic tables
• General and recycling bins so you can dispose of both your beer cans and your guilt responsibly
Now let’s talk real estate:
This campground is huge. Like, stretch-your-legs, lose-your-kids, start-your-own-postcode huge. There are no marked sites, which means you can park wherever you please. We had about 20 metres of glorious personal space between us and the next camper—basically social distancing before it was trendy.
Access is a breeze thanks to a well-graded gravel road, perfect for motorhomes, caravans, and possibly UFO landings. But here’s a friendly heads-up: the soil is very reactive. If it rains, your peaceful paradise could transform into MudFest 2025, complete with bogged vehicles and slippery drama. So maybe check the weather before you commit.
Oakey Creek winds through the reserve like something out of a bushland fairytale. It’s perfect for kayaking, canoeing, fishing, or—if you’re brave and bendy—a bit of rope-swinging action. (Yes, there’s an actual rope swing. No, we won’t judge your splash technique.)
Honestly, this place is just begging for group camping. There’s enough room for cricket, footy, frisbee, or that egg-and-spoon race you’ve been secretly training for. Bring your mates, bring the BBQ, and pretend you’re starring in an ad for regional Queensland.
One final tip: if you’re in a motorhome without a tow car, do yourself a favour and stock up in Dalby before heading out. There are zero shops at Bowenville—unless you count talking to a curious magpie as “buying local.”
So if you’re looking to escape the van park crowds, embrace some wide-open spaces, and camp like a legend (without paying a cent), Bowenville Reserve is your go-to spot.
Ciao for now, champions of the cheap and cheerful!
